Zürcher Nachrichten

Three 'transformations' for nature, according to UN experts

Human societies need a radical overhaul to stop the destruction of the planet, according to the UN biodiversity expert panel's "transformative change" report released Wednesday.

Warmer winter melts incomes of China's ice cutters

Gruff men shout over an angry motor as they float huge blocks of ice towards a rusty conveyor belt on the bank of a frozen river in northeastern China.

Macron to visit France's cyclone-battered Mayotte

France's President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that he would soon visit Mayotte in the aftermath of a cyclone that ripped through the French Indian Ocean territory, with hundreds feared dead.

France in crisis mode as rescuers rush cyclone aid to Mayotte

France's government went into crisis mode Monday as rescuers raced to reach survivors of a cyclone that left hundreds feared dead after ripping through the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte.

Rescuers race to France's Mayotte as hundreds feared dead in cyclone

Rescuers raced against time Monday to reach survivors and supply urgent aid after a devastating cyclone ripped through the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, destroying homes across the islands, with hundreds feared dead.

'Definitely several hundred' killed as Cyclone Chido devastates Mayotte

Local authorities said Sunday that the likely death toll from cyclone Chido's passage across Mayotte was "definitely several hundred" though the disruption means reaching an exact count will be difficult.

Cyclone batters French Indian Ocean island of Mayotte

Cyclone Chido began battering the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte on Saturday, after authorities issued the highest alert and ordered everyone, including rescue workers, to seek shelter.

'Ambitious' islanders spice up ICJ climate hearings

Young people from small island states -- the driving force behind the climate change hearings at the International Court of Justice -- have provided a breath of fresh air to proceedings and gut-wrenching testimony from the front-line.

Single heat wave wiped out millions of Alaska's dominant seabird

The common murre, a large black-and-white seabird native to northern waters, has become far less common in Alaska over the past decade due to the impacts of climate change.

Crunch time for Saudi-hosted drought, desertification talks

Landmark talks on desertification are set to conclude in Saudi Arabia this week amid doubts that pledged funds will make a meaningful difference in the fight against the growing scourge.

Sink to source: Arctic tundra emitting more carbon than it absorbs

After locking carbon dioxide in its frozen soil for millennia, the Arctic tundra is undergoing a dramatic transformation, driven by frequent wildfires that are turning it into a net source of carbon dioxide emissions, a US agency said Tuesday.

Sink to source: Arctic is now emitting more carbon than it absorbs

After locking carbon dioxide in its frozen soil for millennia, the Arctic tundra is undergoing a dramatic transformation, driven by frequent wildfires that are turning it into a net source of carbon dioxide emissions, a US agency said Tuesday.

Papua New Guinea PM vows to return to UN climate talks

Papua New Guinea's prime minister promised Tuesday to return to UN climate summits after boycotting this year's talks, but called for safeguarding forests to be a bigger priority.

A World Cup on three continents sparks climate concerns

The 2030 FIFA World Cup will send dozens of football teams and hordes of fans crisscrossing the globe for matches on three continents, sparking alarm over the environmental cost.

Power cuts and train cancellations as Storm Darragh batters UK

Tens of thousands of people across the UK were left without power on Saturday morning after Storm Darragh hit the country with strong winds and caused pre-Christmas travel disruption.

Stick to current climate change laws, US tells top UN court

The current United Nations framework for fighting climate change should be preserved, the United States told the International Court of Justice, which is working on drafting fresh global legal guidelines.

'World on fire': UN seeks $47 bn for aid in 2025

The UN on Wednesday appealed for more than $47 billion to deliver vital aid next year in a world ravaged by surging conflicts and the climate crisis, but warned many in need would not be reached.

Death toll in Thailand flooding jumps to 25

Thousands of people have been displaced by torrential floodwaters that slammed into southern Thailand, where the death toll has risen to 25, officials said on Tuesday.

Cyclone Fengal toll rises to 20 in South Asia

The death toll from Cyclone Fengal's fierce push through Sri Lanka and southern India reached 20 on Monday as downpours and flooding followed the storm's wake after its winds calmed.

Landmark climate case to open at top UN court

The United Nations' top court will start unprecedented hearings on Monday aimed at setting legal guidelines for how countries should protect the planet against climate change and help vulnerable nations combat its devastating impact.

Storm Bora kills two in Greece, leaves widespread damage

A storm sweeping through Greece has killed two people on the island of Lemnos, and damaged roads and buildings in Rhodes, authorities said on Sunday.

Contentious COP29 deal casts doubt over climate plans

A bitterly-fought climate finance deal reached at COP29 risks weakening emissions-cutting plans from developing countries, observers say, further raising the stakes for new national commitments due early next year.

COP16 biodiversity talks to restart in February: UN

Crunch United Nations talks to find funding to curb the destruction of nature will resume in Rome in February, the UN said on Thursday, after negotiations this month in Colombia ended without a deal.

South Korea officials say three dead in heavy snowfall

Heavy snowfall blanketed South Korea for a second consecutive day Thursday, resulting in three deaths overall and disrupting flights and ferry services, authorities said.

South Korean capital hit by record November snowfall: weather agency

South Korea's capital was blanketed Wednesday by the heaviest November snowfall since records began over a century ago, the weather agency said.

Future of deep-sea mining stands at a crucial juncture

Torn between the defenders of the world's seabeds and industrialists eager to exploit the vast, untapped resources of the deep, the international community faces a crucial year that could decide the future of mining in the high seas.

Winter rains pile misery on war-torn Gaza's displaced

At a crowded camp in Gaza for those displaced by the war between Israel and Hamas, Ayman Siam laid concrete blocks around his tent to keep his family dry as rain threatened more misery.

Extreme weather threatens Canada's hydropower future

Hydropower production in Canada is plummeting as extreme weather linked to climate change, particularly sudden swings between drought and flood, hampers output while threatening the structure of dams themselves.

Petrol industry embraces plastics while navigating energy shift

Amid the inexorable shift toward more electric vehicles, oil and gas producers are looking increasingly to plastics to help keep them afloat, even if that sector faces challenges of its own.

Climate talks reach endgame on new finance deal

The UN's marathon climate summit neared the finish line early Sunday, with nations due to approve or reject a hotly-disputed deal for wealthy historic emitters to provide at least $300 billion to poorer countries that had demanded much more.

Nations race to land climate deal as COP29 draft rejected

A fresh draft of a climate pact unveiled Thursday at COP29 failed to break an impasse between nations, with negotiators racing against the clock to broker a trillion-dollar finance agreement.

Brazil will not 'shy away' from fossil fuels issue as COP30 host: envoy

Brazil will not "shy away" from championing a phaseout of fossil fuels as host of COP30 next year, even if it is a major oil producer, the country's climate envoy said Wednesday.

Zürcher Nachrichten - Weather (English)

Featured

White House unveils new climate goals weeks before Trump's return

UN experts urge three 'transformations' for nature

Last news